The Roca Barcelona Gallery hosted the presentation of final-year degree projects (TFG) by students from UIC Barcelona School of Architecture from 23 to 25 July. A total of 26 proposals demonstrated how architecture can be reimagined through experimental, sensory and multidisciplinary approaches.

Under the theme “A New Vision for Creativity. Reimagining the Process of Architectural Design”, the projects explored new forms of creative process as a driving force in architectural design. Some proposals drew on artistic references such as musical and literary works to forge new links between art, abstraction and architecture. The students reversed traditional design methods to expand their creative capacity and develop new architectural narratives with a strong conceptual foundation.

“We have witnessed a serious exercise in cultural and social analysis across a wide range of contexts. The students have successfully identified the unique identity markers of the places they worked in, uncovering specific needs, uses and ways of inhabiting. This year, the programme was structured around three distinct studios: one focused on academic research, another on the creativity of the process and narrative construction, and a third with a more professional orientation, maintaining high technical standards without compromising the creative dimension,” said Víctor Echarri, director of UIC Barcelona School of Architecture.

A significant number of the projects were developed within the framework of the university’s active research lines, in collaboration with companies in the sector. This approach enabled students to integrate real technical knowledge, address contemporary challenges and apply R&D methodologies to their architectural projects.

The TFGs were supervised by lecturers and architects Alberto Burgos, Josep Miàs, Maria Barcina and Patrícia Tamayo, with lecturers and architects Víctor Echarri, Alberto T. Estévez, Vicenç Sarrablo and Juan Trias de Bes acting as research project directors. Key themes included sustainability, accessibility, energy efficiency, industrialisation and innovation in materials.

ROCKWOOL Sustainability Awards; Daikin-Schneider Electric Installation Awards; Schindler Spain Accessibility Awards

As part of the TFG presentations, the ROCKWOOL Sustainability Awards, the Schindler Spain Accessibility Awards and the Daikin-Schneider Electric Installation Awards were presented. These awards recognise projects that offer the best solutions in these areas, coherently and from the initial design concept.

The winner of the ROCKWOOL Sustainability Award was “Cánticos de Wapi” by student Ignacia Meza, a proposal for an experiential centre on the Chilean coast that reinvents indigenous vernacular architecture, inspired by the wind and the sound of the ocarina. The jury praised the project’s deep and coherent integration of all aspects of sustainability and its detailed analysis of environmental impact.

Second prize was awarded to the project “Quatre camins” by student David Gala, for his proposal to repurpose a shopping centre in the town of Cornellà.

The jury was composed of David Masip, architect and jury's president; Jordi Guivernau, architect in the technical department at ROCKWOOL Peninsular; Teresa Batlle, architect at Picharchitects/Pich-Aguilera; Agustín Ardisana Witenas, architect and 2023 award winner; and Mauro Manca, lecturer at UIC Barcelona and founding partner of Energreen Design.

The Daikin-Schneider Electric Award for Installations in Architecture went to the project “Written in Transition” by student Malgorzata Olejnigzak, which proposes an architecture inspired by the rhythm of a drumbeat, with flexible spaces and an innovative technical and aesthetic integration of installations.

The jury included Núria Benedicto Bertolín, coordinator of the Daikin Prescription Department in Catalonia and Andorra; Toni Sánchez, head of Prescription for Spain and Portugal at Schneider Electric; and Xavi Martínez Tomeo, architect and lecturer at UIC Barcelona.

The 2025 Schindler Architecture Awards for Accessibility awarded first prize to the project “Sunet – an experience for everyone” by Alin-Matei Birisan. The winning proposal transforms an urban space in Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella district into an inclusive and accessible place, combining an amphitheatre, pedestrian bridge and rest areas with a universal design approach. Second prize went to Diya Choudhary for her project “Libertine Pavilion”. Student Almudena Martínez won third prize with her project “Brisas del trópico”.

The jury was composed of Xavier Vallcorba, director of Schindler Lifts in Catalonia; Enrique Rovira-Beleta, lecturer and expert member of the Accessibility Council of the Government of Catalonia; and Andrés W. Salas, collaborating architect at Rovira-Beleta Accessibility.